Erica Black | Facility Rental Coordinator
Every event hosted in our space helps support environmental education, free community programs, and land stewardship efforts. Whether planning a wedding, birthday party, shower, or corporate retreat, your rental directly contributes to nature-based learning and accessible outdoor experiences for our entire community.
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Emma Ehlers | Community Program Educator, AmeriCorps Member Why I love the outdoors – My inspiration to serve our environment started at a young age. As a student of an art-focused charter elementary school, my love and dedication for nature evolved throughout years of hands-on, nature based exploration. From handling creatures to standing amongst trees…
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Cindy Blobam, our Environmental Education Program Manager keeps a collection of lifelike skulls at The Nature Place for hands-on learning opportunities for anyone, at any age.
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Cindy Blobaum, our Environmental Education Program Manager introduces and inspires our community to experience the beauty of tagging migrating monarch butterflies in her approach to connect people to nature for the benefit of both.
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Gabby Arnold | Community Programs Educator The Nature Place is beautifully nestled between bluffs, marshland, forests, and prairie. The biodiversity surrounding our center makes exploration a simple task, and our Explorer Backpacks provide tools that will amplify the outdoor experience. Each backpack serves a different purpose and provides a different experience. Try out our free…
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Amber Bydynkowski | Visitor Services Manager There is something to be said about stepping outside of your comfort zone and trying something new. That nervous excitement builds up, almost like a euphoric vibration that sends you through a whirlwind of emotions. Not only is experiencing something new a big step into becoming a well-rounded individual,…
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Ashlyn Luckey | Visitor Services Assistant AmeriCorps Member, September 2023 – August 2024 Sustainability has become quite the buzzword over the past few years. From news headlines to the grocery store, it seems to be plastered on everything, and it can get overwhelming! Though it may seem like a daunting journey, it’s actually easier than…
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By Stephanie Hanna | Community Program Manager After working as an environmental educator for a while, it turns out that I find reptiles to be absolutely amazing creatures. When I was being interviewed for this job 25 years ago, I told the person doing the interview, who would become my boss, that I was not…
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By Mace Thomson | Visitor Services – Gardens & Grounds Americorps Member, September 2023 – August 2024 Every year as the temperature begins to rise, so does the excitement of gardeners who have been patiently waiting to get their hands dirty again. We know that feeling well at The Nature Place. However, before planting begins,…
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By Gabrielle Arnold | Community Program EducatorAmeriCorps Member, September 2023 – August 2024 The concept of delving into the scientific community with no prior experience is intimidating. Without a degree and years in a lab, what makes you qualified to make scientific observations? How could you, without any credibility, possibly contribute to a field filled…
Read More about Community Science, a Catalyst to a Connected World